At last, Ireland played unpredictable rugby.
On Saturday I was drawn to the defensive excellence on display. Robbie Henshaw led the targeting of England’s Ford-Farrell axis and refused to relent until – and this is the official RFU account – head coach Eddie Jones chose to play the last 25 minutes with two scrumhalves.
For George Ford not to return when Owen Farrell was removed for a head injury assessment provides all the evidence we need of a malfunctioning opposition. Henshaw tortured Ford as much as Tadhg Furlong twisted Mako Vunipola into knots.
Considering this was the same English side that beat a brilliant French outfit a week previous only enhances the Irish performance while at the same time revealing how zany this year’s Six Nations has been.
At last, Ireland put Keith Earls into space. His try was one of the many examples of the coaches drawing up a strategy to accommodate specific skills at their disposal.
But it was the defence that broke England’s resolve and had them swinging like Brooks Koepka on the rare Sunday of a Major when the big Floridian is not in contention. The MMA antics of Ellis Genge provided confirmation of a disjointed group that no longer cared about the 2021 championship.
Ireland’s desire proved the difference. Just like England wanted it more against France and Charles Ollivon’s French needed to atone against Wales, and the Welsh catching Scotland, and the Scots at Twickenham.
This Six Nations has been crazy.
At last, Ireland got among the unpredictable nature of it all.
There is enough distance from this stunning victory to put Ireland’s entire campaign in some perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed both tries by Earls – sadly, his second was disallowed – but the season concludes with only one substantial Irish showing from five outings.
We still don’t know if this standard can become the norm, but it’s a bloody good start, albeit 16 months after Andy Farrell took the reins from Joe Schmidt.
What still concerns me is the lack of clarity around a medium- to long-term plan. England and Jones have been forced to undertake an “executive review” where the players will have a say in their coach’s future. Conor O’Shea, as the RFU performance director, will play a central role in the outcome.
Historically, these reviews have to be done forensically as they tend to be leaked to the media.
The IRFU conducts their business differently. Saturday’s performance at the Aviva Stadium allows David Nucifora to ignore the mounting complaints on his desk but the public still deserves some form of roadmap from now until France 2023.
Lingering issues aside, credit must go to Farrell’s backroom. From Mike Catt’s starter plays to John Fogarty’s scrum, the coaches delivered.
The result grew from the seeds planted by Henshaw in midfield. If the two Tadhgs, Beirne and Furlong, have become Ireland’s most influential forwards, then Henshaw has become the team’s best player.
If Ford is waking up covered in sweat, it’s because Henshaw has invaded his dream space. This was a tour de force. Denying Ford the oxygen to create meant England’s attack could not breathe. Eddie Jones feared as much. He said it 48 hours before kick-off. You play a certain way to beat France and the next team will seek to shut it down.
The game became a battle of wills and Henshaw can beat anyone in that department at the moment.
Ireland’s unpredictability was provided by the wingers, Earls and Jacob Stockdale, popping up at first receiver. Seeing players take onfield responsibility was new. It came from smart coaching.
In the build-up to Jack Conan’s try, as Ireland moved from left to right, fully aware that Ford was hidden near the left touchline, the sole intention was to expose a known defensive weakness.
The spark came from phenomenal high fielding by Hugo Keenan over his opposite number Elliot Daly. The difference between the teams was perfectly exemplified by Henshaw gobbling up Ollie Lawrence’s 10-metre head start to the ruck before bullying his fellow 13 off the ball.
Next, Beirne took heavy contact from three English players as play rolled downhill and towards Ford. Conan’s razor-sharp thinking merely finished off a flawless tutorial in manipulating and deceiving a bigger defence.
It took 16 months but player empowerment has taken root in Andy Farrell’s squad.
Now we know they can do it. I am fascinated to see how Ireland will line up in the summer or autumn series.
With the Lions tour confirmed for South Africa this summer, Warren Gatland might be better off skipping Paris on Friday night for a few hours in Ballsbridge on Saturday afternoon.
CJ Stander takes his leave of Ireland but only after returning to his most effective position. I’d expect the Munster backrow to continue to prove that Irish teams do not need an out and out openside, when they can put Gavin Coombes at number eight with Stander and Peter O’Mahony on the flanks. In the small matter of a Pro 14 final, Beirne can poach from the secondrow.
Stander has been a great servant to Munster and Ireland but the need to recruit a powerful South African, back in 2012, is no longer as stark. Much the way Michael Cheika shrugged his shoulders and spoke about Seán O’Brien when questions came about a replacement for Rocky Elsom, for Munster that man should be Jack O’Donoghue.
O’Donoghue has the physique and athleticism to fill the CJ void. Caelan Doris and Jack Conan – and eventually Coombes – will lay claim to the number eight jersey but the backrow options, post Stander, seem healthy.
Conan’s return as a genuine force – following some miserable injuries – makes it very difficult to select a fully stocked Ireland backrow.
If only there was a trial match to sort Josh van der Flier from O’Mahony and Coombes from Conan. If only there was a trophy up for grabs where one team seeks to end a 10-year famine and the other crowd are chasing four in a row.
The accidental calendar has struck gold by pitting Munster against Leinster in Dublin a week before both teams face French clubs in European knock-out.
It is very hard to see Ireland repeating that England performance if they had a Test match this weekend but I cannot imagine a better scenario than splitting the squad into geographical regions and challenging them to prove who rules the roost.
Munster has a real chance at beating Leinster. I still need to be convinced by them when it really matters, but the rivalry feels more even than it has been for years.
With a six-day turnaround before Toulon, Leo Cullen has some tricky decisions. For example, Harry Byrne’s inability to manage the last 10 minutes against the Ospreys should silence any calls for his promotion up the outhalf ranks. To partner Harry for the Pro 14 final with Ciarán Frawley is inviting Damien de Allende to target a creaky 10-12 defensive axis in similar fashion to how Henshaw exposed England.
The Ospreys centre Owen Watkin’s straight carry between Byrne and Frawley last weekend was not the first time that has happened. If I can see the disconnect, Frawley still defends like an outhalf in that he is not covering the space as well as the channels, bet the house that Stephen Larkham is all over it.
Henshaw must start or Joey Carbery, De Allende and Chris Farrell could cause real damage.
Munster will only end their trophy drought by denying Leinster go-forward ball and heaping pressure on the creative department.
Easier said than done. Leinster will be their usual selves, with rapid recycling and patient probing until a Munster individual makes a mistake.
But progress for Cullen this season not only depends on winning the Pro 14, but at least making the Champions Cup semi-final, while I suspect Munster are hardly ignoring Toulouse in Thomond Park on Saturday week, but Johann van Graan has far less players to reintegrate into his squad. They will go all out at the RDS. They have no choice.
Also, the returning Munster men are in serious form. Conor Murray looks like the undisputed Ireland scrumhalf once again, while Leinster have a decision to make around Luke McGrath and Jamison Gibson-Park.
Cullen has other big calls to make. Leaving Scott Penny out of the backrow would be harsh, even with Rhys Ruddock, Van der Flier and Conan available. Lock presents a similar conundrum around Dev Toner, Ryan Baird and Scott Fardy.
Records are there to be broken and Toner is the man I would like to see surpass the number of times I was lucky enough to wear the blue jersey.
Delirium and devastation are guaranteed at an empty RDS.
